Selective transmitting system.



J L. HALL.

PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

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'No. 843,746. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

J. L. HALL.

SELECTIVE TRANSMITTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.9,1901- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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J. L. HALL. SELECTIVE TRANSMITTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED l)EO.9, 1901.

PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

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N0. 843,746. I PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907. J. L. HALLi SELECTIVETRA-NSMLTTING SYSTEM.-

' APPLIOATION FILED DEO.9,1901.

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i 3 26 I ll i i ----------------jg F----- T Q:6nesses so i Inventor:

John L. Hall.

UNITED STATES- PATENT oFEro JOHN-L. HALL, OF SOHENECTADY, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.-

SELECTIVE TRANSMITTING. SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN L. HALL, a citizenof the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady,State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSelective Transmitting Systems, of which the following is a specication.

A This invention. relates to selective transmitting systems, the objectbeing to provide an organization by which a considerable 20, Such asystem number of separate signals may, be trans mitted over a smallgroup of wires selectively so as to operate particular signalinginstruments at a receiving point or station.

The organization herein described is particularly adapted for use in asystem where a single transmitting instrument to send the severalsignals and a single receiving'appa .llatus at a distant station areemployed. may be used aboard ship, as m an engine-room telegraph, bywhich difi'er ent signals may be transmitted from an officer on deck tothe engine-room or in transmitting orders from the conning-tower of awar vessel to the several gun-stations.

Parts of the invention are of use for other purposes thantransmittingsignals, as in operating selective apparatus of any kindthrough a small number of transmissionwires.

I car out the invention by providin a group 0 wires in the form of acable which connects the transmitting-station to the reto employ asignaling device of the ceiving-station,

other the return having itshoperating-eoil connected acrossSpecification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 9, 1901.Serial No. 85,133.

a transmitting device being employed by which these wiresniay be connected in groups takentwo atfla time, so as to' form of one wire theoutgoing and of the' side of an electric circuit in which is includedatthe receiving-statidh an.

inations possible witha certain num- Patented Feb. 12, 19Q7.

a different 'pair of cable-wires. Each receiving-magnet is provided withan armature, which plays between two contacts controlling a localcircuit in which are included signaling-lamps arranged behind glazedopenings in the receiving-indicator, upon which numbers or other signalsmay be printed.

'Thus when a definite signal is delivered by turning the handle of thetransmitter to a definite position a particular lamp will be illuminedand the the indicator, and the receivingoperator may examine a code, andthereby learn the character of the signal, or the signaled informationmay itself be printed upon the illumined panel.

The several receiving instruments being connected across the wires ofthecable in parallel relation afford a network of circuits which permitsseveral receiving instruments .to draw current at the same time.strument directly across the active wires,

number flashed out from The inhowever, carries a larger current than anyof the others, and in order to prevent more than one instrument resonding I give the armatures 'a sufiicient blas by means of a spring toprevent movement except undei'a definite current strength. For'exampl ofthe kind above referred to Where four signaling wires are employed takenin grou s of two the springs may be adjusted to resistforty per cent. ofthe maximum pull of the receiving-magne't, and in such a case only theone connected directly across the signalingcircuit will be operated.

I'provide' also-means for signaling back to I the transmitting-stationnotice that the-sig-' 'nal has-been transmitted. For this urpose Iemploy an extra -wire inclosed the same sheath as the si aling group andin which at the transmitt1ng-station is inserted a lampor othersignaling device, which indicates when the lamp at the receiving-stationhas been lighted, and since the lighting is determined by the-movementof the controlling magnet or relay the transmitting ofiicer is advisedimmediately as to the; proper transmission of the signal.

-My invention embodies various features,

the novelty of which will be hereinafter more fully described in thespecification and definitely indicated in the claims, as well inthesystem as in the type ceiving instruments.

In t e accompanying drawings, whichilluse, in asystem of transmittingand re- Figs. 5 and 6 trate the invention, Figures 1 and 2 are a topplan and horizontal section of a signal-trans- 5 transmittinginstrument.v Fig. 4 is a detail of the main circuit-controller. Fig. 5is a development of the contact devices for controlling the connectionswith the transmittingcable. Fig. 6fis a diagram of the signaling system.I 1 igsa7 and 8 are a front elevation and vertical section of receivinga paratus, and Fig. 9 is a view of one of the pollirizedreceiving-magnets.

Referring first to the transmitter, as depicted in Figs. 1 to 5, 1represents a metal box in which the parts are inclosed Within this boxisrigidly mounted a group of insulated contact plates or segments 2 2 2 22: 3 3 3 3 3*. These are arc-shaped segments of metal se arated byinsulating strips and all insulate froma sup orting-bolt 4, secured totherycase. Each 0 these segments is provided at different parts of itsarc with recesses or notches, the urpose of which will be hereinaftermore fu ly described. The segments are arranged in two groups, ametalliccontact 5 6, carried by arotary hub 7,. being adapted,

to bridge any lpgir of contacts of the respec tive groups. will be seen,the contact 5is long enough to bridge any pair of the group 2 ofsegments and the contact 6 pair of the group 3. These contacts arespring-mounted, as indicated, on the rotary hub, and the latter iscontrolled by an arm 8 on the outside of the box, in which is pivoted anoperating-handle 9. The operating-handle carries a finger 10, whichprevents its depression except when it is in alinement with some one ofa group of notches 10 1.0 10 around the outer edge of the top of thebox, as indicated in Fig. 1. a i

The inner end of the handle is threaded by a rod 11, normally presseddown by a spring 12, maintaining out of contact a metallic.

ring 13 and pair of contact-brushes 14 14 The metallic ring is securedto an insulated collar mounted on the rod 11, as indicated in Fig. 4.When the handle 9 is depressed, the 'rod 11 is lifted against thetension of the spring 12 and brings into engagement the contact-ring andthe brushes, therebybridging a circuit between the binding-posts 15 15,connected in the main circuit. By means of this construction it isimpossible to close the main circuit except when the handle is inalineii'ient with one of thenotches 10= 10*, &c., since in no otherposition can the main circuit-closer be lifted. Eachcontact-segment, asaboveindicated, is provided with a group of notches, as will be seenin'Fig. 2 at 16 16, &c. "Each of. these notches is sufliciently wide toclear one of the contact bridges or brushes 5 6' when the latter passesoverit.

to bridge any.

it s ef tli l controller-segments, an examination of which will renderclear the relation of the parts. The vertical dotted lines in Fig. 6illustrate the different signaling positions of the bridging contactswhich occur when the handle is opposite some one of the notches 10 10*,&c. When in such a position, it may be depressed, closing the maincircuit at the circuit-closer 14 14 hereinbefore de' scribed. This putsthe potential of the supply-circuit, (indicated by the signs plus andminus,) which may be the lighting-circuit of the vessel when the systemis employed .in such a place, upon the segment 2, and the movablebridging contact cross-connects this with some other segment of thegroup 2. For example, if the handle is turned so that the bridgingcontacts 5 6 are in the osition indicated by the extreme left-hand'lvertical line they will cross-connect segmean t' lfl with segm ent 2*,all the other segments 24'. 2 of the upper group being dead, since, as*Will be evident from the figure, the bridging contact 5 rests over thenotches of these bars, and therefore forms no contact with them. Ontheother hand, if the lever 9 had been shifted to a position to bringthe'bridging contacts to the position of the second dotted line in Fig.6 then the segment 2 would be out of contact with'the brush, but segment2 would be rendered alive by cross connection through the brush withsegn'ient 2. Thus by different positions of the handle the plus wire maybe successively thrown upon any of the four segments 2 2* 2 2 and theminus wire upon any one of the four segments 3 3 3 3, and since thereare four signal-wires any one of six combinations may be made..- forexample, 1 2,1 3, 1 4, 2 3, 2 4, 3 4., By

means of the polarized instruments this range ofcombinatio'ns may bemultiplied by two,

rod

in the cable since obviously there may be six combina-v tions bywhich'the armature may be shifted toward the right and six by which itmay be shifted toward the left. There are therefore twelve positions forthe bridging contacts 5 6, which are indicated by the verticaldotted'lines' in the upper part of Fig. 6. Assum ing, tor example, thatthe operating-handle of the transmitter is shifted to the first positionand is pressed,segnrents 2 2 are connected and 3 3 thereby throwingpotential,

on wires 0 and (Z. As will be evident from the lower part of Fig. 6, thebobbins, of the different receiving-magnets are connected across thewires of the cable, so as to couple them in the order above recited,Thereisv therefore only one instrument which directly cross-connectswires 0 and dnamely, themstrunientat the extreme rightand this instrument g'etting allarger flow of current than any of the othersshiftsi ts armature and closeethecircuit on a signalingdamp 17, or 17&'c. Thearrnature of each receiving magnet ispreferably polarized by anexcitnected through the contact to the nega-' 'ceiving-magnet, a coiling-coil, as indicated in Fig. 6, and the sev-' of this circuit governedbythe several armatures'of the receiving-magnets, as will be evidentfrom the diagram. Y a

en any lamp-circuit is closed by its re- 19, included insaid circuit,operates a contact 20 and closes a path to a return-wire 21,"inclosedwithin the cable and returning to the transmitting-station, in serieswith which is an indicator, as a lamp 22, in the transmitter. Thereturnwire 21 at the transmitting end is connected through thesignal-lamp 22 and contacts 14 and 14 to the positive terminal of thesource of current and at the receiving end iscontive terminal of thesource of current. The contact 20- also controls an. alarm bell or indicator 23 at the receiving-station. The polarized magnets of thereceiving instrument are indicated in Figs. 7 8, and 9; Each of theseconsists ,of a magnetic circuit fOIIP-Bd of soft iron, in the air gap ofwhich is adapted to rock a pivoted armature'24 between twocontact-points 25 25 Thefixed cores are polarized by spools 26 26,connected in series relation between thecable-wires at c d in the orderhereinbefore referred 'to-that is to say, between 1 and 2,1 and '3, 1and 4, 2

and 3, 2 and '4, 3 and-4, respectively and the armature is polarized bya coil 27, 'having an opening sufficiently large to permit the armatureto play between the contact-points 25 25*. To return the armatures tothe normal position whenthe magnets are denergized and to hold theminthis position, I mount strips of spring metal 30, Fig. 9, ii idly onthe armatures near their lower en s and at right angles thereto. The.ends of these strips 30 protrude into slots formed in the fixed cores ofthemagnets 2626*. These relays or polarized magnets are mounted in a boxor casing 28, containing the receivinglamps, which are controlled by therelays.

The front of the casing is provided with glazed o enings, as indicatedin Fi 8 at 29, upon w ich may be painted or ot erwise marked any desiredinformation to be conveyed to the receiving-operator. ting the signalbefore the circuit can be closed and any part of the system renderedalive the handle 9 must be depressed, which can only take place When itstands in proper position 'send a signal. The particular signal setdepends on the arcover which it is shifted and the pair of wires in thecable which are connected in circuit.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. A selective transmission system comprising a plurality of wiresbetween the'trans mitting and receiving apparatus, polarized Thus intransmitreceiving apparatus comprising'a-plurality of magnetsrespectively connected across different pairs of. wires, a source ofelectric energy, and transmitting apparatus .for throwing said sourcewith either polarity across different pairs of wires a pair at a time.2. A selective transmission system comprising a plurality of wiresbetween the transmitting and receiving apparatus, transmitting apparatusfor coup ing the wires in dif- 'ferent pairs and connecting apair atatime to the terminals of a source of voltage with either polarity, ;aplurality of polarized re+ ceivers connected respectively across -thediiierent pairs of wires, and' indicators controlled by the severalpolarized receivers.

3'. A selective transmission system comprising a plurality oftransmission-wires eX-' tending from the ing' apparatus, a source ofelectric energy, transmitting apparatus for selecting said Wires a pairat a time and connecting them to larity, electromagnetically-actuatedreceivers connected respectively across the different pairs of wires,indicators controlled by the armatures of the receivers in oppositedirections of movement, and meansfor biasing. the armatures againstmovement either direction. a 4. A selective transmissionsystem-committing and receiving apparatus, a source of electric energy,transmitting, apparatus for imposing sai source on different pairs ofwires takena pair at a time,-the several wires occurring in more thanone pair respectively, a plurality of receiving-electromagnets reandelectric lamps selectively controlled by said receiving-magnet Q. T

5. A selective signahtransmission system" comprising a plurality ofwires between the transmitting and receiving apparatus, a source ofelectric energy, transmitting apparatus for imposingsaidsourceondifierent era]. wires occurring in more than one pair, aplurality of receiving-magnets"connected respectively tothe different.pairs of wires, a return signal-circuit actuated by each receiver, andan indicator in said circuit at the transmitting-station.

transmitter, a receiver, aplurality of wires between them, a source ofdifference of potential, means in the transmitter for selecting thewires a pair at aftime andconnecting them to said source with'eitherpolari and I a plurality of polarized magnets in t e re: celverconnected respectively across the different pairs of wires.

7. A selective signal system comprising a transmitter, a receiver, aplurality of Wires between them, and. a manually-operated transmittingto the receiv-. A

the terminals of said source with either poprising a plurality of wiresbetween the trans- IOC spectively connected across the several pairs, I

, pairs of wires taken apair at a time, the sev- 6. A selective signalsystem comprising a switch in the transmitter to which-the several wiresand the mains from a source of electric supply are connected and whichis arranged in its different positions for selecting any pair of thewires and connecting them a pair at a time to said mains with eitherpolarity.

.8. A selective signal system comprising a transmitter, a receiver,aplurality of wires between them, mains from a source of electricsupply, means in the transmitterfor se lecting any pair of the wires andconnecting them a pair at a time to the mains with either polarity,polarized relays in the receiver connected respectively between theseveral pairs of wires, a circuit closed by a relay when. operated, andan indicating device in. said. circuit.

9. A selective signal system comprising a transmitter, a receiver, aplurality of wires between them, a source of difference .of potential,means in the transmitter for selecting any pair of the wires andconnecting them with said source with either polarity, a switchbreak-points in the several segments distrib utedso that any pair ofwires maybe selected and connected to the supply-mains with eitherpolarity.

11. A selective signal system comprising a transmitter, a receiver, anda plurality of wires between them, said. transmitter having two sets ofconducting-segments, the several wires of the system being connected wesegment of each set, a contact for each set, leads from a source ofelectric supply connectedto said contacts, break-points in the severalsegments distributed to connect different Wires with. said leads indifferent angularpositions, and an operating-handle for shifting thecontacts to cut different groups of Wires into circuit.

12. A selective signal system comprising a transmitter having a pivotedoperating-arm, a receiver, a plurality of wires between them asource ofdifference of potential, means in the transmitter controlled by saidoperating arm for selecting any pair of the wires and connecting themwith said source with either polarity, a switch in. the circuit of saidsource scams closed only when said operating-arm is in operativeposition, means in the receiver affect.- ed by said connections to givean indication and to close a circuit, and indicating means at thetransmitter actuated when said circuit is closed.

13. A selective signal system comprising a transmitter, a receiver, anda plurality of wires between them, said transmitter having a pluralityof conducting-segments, positive and negative mains from a source ofelectric energy, each wire of the system being connected to two of saidsegments and each of said mains being connected to a segment, a

contact device cooperating with the segments, an operating-handletherefor, breakpoints in the several segments distributed so that anypair of wires may be selected and connected to the supply-mains witheither polarity, means in the receiver actuated I when such connectionis made to give an in dication and to close a circuit, and indicatingcircuit is'closed. v v v 14. A selective signal system comprising atransmitter, a receiver, and a' plurality of wires between them, saidtransmitter having a plurality of conducting-segmcnts, positive means atthe transmitter actuated when said.

and negative mains from a source of electric energy, each wire of thesystem being connected to two of said segments and eachof said mainsbeing connected to 'a segment, a contact device cooperating with thesegments, an operating-handle therefor, breakpoints in the severalsegments distributed so that any pair of wires may be selected andconnected to the supply-mains with either polarity, a switch in thesupply-circr it, and means preventing closure of said switch eX- ceptwhen the operating-handle is in an operative position.

15. A selective signal system comprising a transmitter, a receiver, aplurality of wires between them, said transmitter having two sets ofconducting segments, the several wires ofthe system being connected toase ment of each-set, a contact for each set, lear s from'a source ofelectric supply connected to said contacts, break-points in the severalsegments distributed to connect different -wires with said leads indifferent angular positions, an operating-handle for shifting thecontacts to out different groups of wires into circuit, a switch in thesupply-circuit, and means preventing closure of said switch except whenthe operating handle is in an operative position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of December,1901. Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B..HULL, MARGARET E. WOOLLEY.

